A DIY-IT Conference

June 22, 2004

Doc Searls comments today about the idea of doing a DIY-IT event. He suggests a conference along the lines of BloggerCon. I'd love to see about hosting something like that here at UNLV. The thing would be finding the right time. A good time for the school (with space available) is in the summer though the thermometer might indicate a different time of year. Spring break is one possibility though it is always tied to Easter so some folks won't want to be gone late in the week. Possibly the end of Winter Break? Just before the spring semester starts? It will be a cooler time in many parts of the country and a nice time to visit the warm Southwest.

University of Washington

June 19, 2004

As the CALI conference draws to a close I feel compelled to comment on the University of Washington. The Law School at UW has been the host. As a member of a family with a long-standing history at Washington State University I may have arrived with an unduly negative preconception of the school. However, everything I have seen and experienced has shown that the school is among the best of conference hosts around. It is quite remarkable how attentive the caterers are with nary a need unmet. The quality of the food as well is very good.

Wireless access in the hallways at first proved somewhat spotty but by changing the wireless setup in the powerbook to use 'g' instead of 'b' or 'g'.

OpenExpert.org Expert System for Legal Clinics

June 18, 2004

Presentation question about the OpenExpert.org expert system. Expert systems in legal clinics can help with preservation of knowledge in a place where turnover is high by design, helps train new students, help new students find solutions more quickly and finally system can be made publicly available via the web.

Does an expert system replace students? No. Expert systems are good but they have limits and are much more effective when utilized by a trained person. They also don't solve all types of problems or in areas where there are subjective evaluations. It is best at areas of clearly defined law with lots of options (tax law, child support etc.).

Sailesh Chutani: Your Life as a Movie

June 18, 2004

What if everything you see, smell, hear, say and touch was recorded. Microsoft Research was founded in 1991 and has more than 700 people in more than 55 areas. Microsoft Research works very closely with many universities worldwide.

SenseCam - a small black box that captures images based on sensors that trigger the taking of pictures. Target is to have a device the size of a fifty-cent piece that captures data. The price point for this is fairly reasonable. Built from off the shelf components.

Storage needs are increasing. In todays storage terms the cost of storage for a lifetime is $10m today. In 10 years the cost of 10 peta bits of storage will likely be less than $10K for a lifetime of images. Moore's Law suggests that by 2019 a $1000 computer will match the computational power of the human brain.

Alaska Airlines

June 17, 2004

My flight yesterday on Alaska Airlines prompted some comments. At the airport I noticed I'd forgotten my headphones so I picked up a small set of ear-buds. The purchase turned out to be a good choice since there is no in-air entertainment system on the 737-900 jet I was on. They advertise a DVD/CD/MP3 player for rent if arrangements are made in advance. The jet was clean, new and quite nice. The flight crew left something to be desired. The snippy flight attendant informed me that although she could see that the ear buds were off they had to be taken out of my ears and "stowed" for takeoff. I use my headphones as ear-plugs during takeoff and landing...

Clay Shirky

June 17, 2004

Notes from the opening address at CALI. The comments in italics are mine.

Clay Shirky: Data is the new book. The change is a slow process. Things get broken for a long time and stay broken for a long time. When the printing press was invented the old systems broke for a long time before we figured out how to use it.

The library as canary - users are opting out and libraries have to deal with that.

First reaction: STOP! There is a threat of de-coherence. Often we try first to bring users back to the old model. Change is driven by a market model - 10% change can be enough to change the way we do business. The classic mode of dealing with this is driven by the impacted institution. "Eat More Lard" - A message from the lard council.

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